Neither Obama or McCain a "Peace Candidate" - Ann Wright

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Neither Obama or McCain a "Peace Candidate" - Ann Wright

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2008/10/20/Ann_Wright_Voices_of_Conscience Retired U.S. Army Colonel and antiwar activist Ann Wright argues that, while she believes Barack Obama to be the best choice to end the Iraq war, neither McCain or Obama are representative of a true "peace" candidate. ----- Ann Wright talks about Dissent: Voices of Conscience. During the run-up to the Iraq War, Wright was deputy ambassador to a Central Asian Republic, culminating 29 years of military service. But for the first time she was unable to uphold a US policy. She saw clearly that the invasion would aid terrorism and make us less secure; and as an act of conscience, she submitted her resignation. This is her story and the story of 24 others who stood up to the government - Book Passage Ann Wright resigned from the U.S. Foreign Service on March 19, 2003, while serving as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Mongolia. She resigned due to her disagreement with the Bush administration's decision to go to war in Iraq without the authorization of the UN Security Council, the lack of effort in resolving the Israel-Palestinian situation, the lack of policy on North Korea and unnecessary curtailment of civil liberties in the United States. Ms. Wright joined the Foreign Service in 1987 and served as Deputy Chief of Mission of US Embassies in Sierra Leone, Micronesia and briefly in Afghanistan. She received the State Department's Award for Heroism for her actions during the evacuation of 2500 persons from the civil war in Sierra Leone, the largest evacuation since the evacuation of Saigon in 1974. Ms. Wright was on the first State Department team to go to Kabul, Afghanistan. She helped reopen the US Embassy in Kabul in December, 2001 and worked in Afghanistan for five months, serving in the last month as Deputy Chief of Mission (Deputy Ambassador). Ms. Wright's other overseas assignments include Somalia with both the US mission and as chief of the Justice Division (reconstituting the Somali police, judicial and prison systems) of the United Nations Mission to Somalia (UNOSOM). She also served in US Embassies in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Grenada, Micronesia and Nicaragua. Ms. Wright has been featured in articles in the Washington Post magazine, Government Executive magazine, Foreign Service Journal, Ms magazine and has been interviewed by radio and TV networks. She participated in the documentary film "Uncovered: The Truth About the Iraq War. Ms. Wright lives in Honolulu , Hawaii. She writes on current US foreign policy and speaks to university classes and civic groups in the United States and internationally.